


Moments Together

by Infinity90



Category: RWBY
Genre: Warning for chapter 6
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2020-05-07 12:51:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19209805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Infinity90/pseuds/Infinity90
Summary: While in Atlas, the heroes must face the tension and awkwardness that came as a result of them splitting apart. Secrets are revealed and everyone learns a thing or two about trusting those around them, and most importantly, themselves.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: This has some slight Rosegarden, just in case you're not into that. Also, I started writing this before volume 6 ended, so things will not match as it did in canon.

Nora Valkyrie thought she was pretty insightful when it came to romance. For example, it was clear Pyrrha (rest her soul) had feelings for Jaune, or that when she met her, Ilia liked Blake.

So it occurred to her quite early that someone possessed affections for her silver-eyed friend. A certain farm boy. Ever since she had watched Oscar land a punch in Ruby’s face in Mistral, she felt there was something _there_.

As they moved along in their journey, her suspicions only grew. Oscar would occasionally glance at Ruby, smile shyly whenever she was around, and was always near her, no matter what. Maybe Nora was overreacting. Or maybe she wasn’t.

After the team had piloted a stolen airship from Argus, they had landed _somewhat_ safely in Atlas, in a forest secluded from the main city. As soon as they had made it, Weiss became awfully silent, barely speaking a word to anyone.

“Hey, Weiss,” Ruby murmured, coming over to her partner, and placing her hand on her shoulder. Weiss looked up, worry obvious on her face.

“Weiss… I know you’re feeling a bit… overwhelmed. But I promise you, none of us are gonna let your dad take you away. You’re not going back. You’re staying with us.”

Weiss gave her team leader a small smile, to which Ruby returned with a large grin. There wasn’t a lot of people like Ruby Rose these days. Someone who was optimistic and believed in the best of people. At that moment, Weiss shrugged off the dark feeling that something bad was going to happen, took a deep breath, and followed Ruby off the ship. The ex-heiress had wondered how they could just leave a stolen airship in the middle of the woods, but according to Klein and Ironwood, someone would pick it up soon after and return it back to Argus, claiming that the thieves who stole it were being “promptly dealt with”.

Weiss has contacted Klein earlier in the flight. Her butler, was of course, happy to hear from her, but worried for her safety. She had assured Klein that she was well and safe and asked about him. Her blood turned to ice when she heard that her mother was around more, and Whitley was ”becoming more like her father each day”. The Huntress was scared, but she told her friends all was well when they had asked her.

Klein had a safe house for them, somewhere near the city. He reassured them that there would be no danger and they could call him for help if needed. Weiss received the location on her scroll, and downloaded it into Bumblebee, so Yang could drive them all there. Klein was sworn to secrecy of his brief knowledge of the issue at hand. Qrow had contacted Ironwood, who was preparing the group invites for a ball held in Whitley’s honor.

Atlas was colder than Argus, and everyone was shivering, since none of them had packed winter clothing. Weiss was the only one slightly prepared, and she was the one who was the most used to the weather.

“Atlas is too cold, isn’t it?” Ren quipped, noting a shivering Nora. His girlfriend wrapped her arms around him for warmth. “I’ll say. When we get to the safe house, it’s time for a change of wardrobe.”

Maria laughed lightly. At first, she seemed annoyed by Nora’s constant laughter and excitement. Now, she was used to it. In fact, she enjoyed it.

Yang turned her head back at the passengers. “Now that Ozpin’s come out to play, Oscar, what’s the game plan?”

The young boy looked down shyly, as everyone’s gazes landed on him. He was getting used to everyone’s wariness of him, but he didn’t really like it. Even Ruby, who believed in him the most, seemed to be keeping her distance from him.

“Uh, well. Oz says we’ll rest up for a few days. He says Qrow will contact Ironwood again and set our plans in motion. Our main goal… he says our main goal is to find the Winter Maiden so we can unlock the relic. And we’ll be attending the party for Whitley Schnee, in which some of us will be providing distractions, while the rest of us will be retrieving the relic.”

Weiss rolled her eyes. “Find the Winter Maiden… cause that’ll be easy. Has it occurred to any of you that we’ve never found any of the maidens on our own? Cinder is evil, and dead, and we only found Vernal because of Yang’s mom. And Vernal is also _dead_.”

Ruby noticed Yang tensing up. Weiss was right. The Huntsmen never had to look for the Maidens… they just kind of appeared when necessary.

Oscar piped up. “Well, Oz says that since the Maidens are some of the few individuals that possess magic, he can feel their auras. So he’ll know when she’s close.”

“So you’re telling me we’re gonna have to wander around until Ozpin’s senses go off?” Qrow questioned. He hadn’t entirely forgiven Ozpin yet. It had taken much convincing for him to even look at Oscar. He was getting better, though.

Ruby looked over to her uncle, trying to reassure him with her eyes. “Hey Qrow, it’ll be fine. I promise.”

Ruby seemed to be making a lot of promises these days.

As the moved along through the thick snow, the travelers discussed their plans for their days they would spend in the safe house. Qrow quickly called Ironwood to update him on the situation, now that they were closer to an area where there was a stronger signal. Maria planned to train Ruby with her silver eye powers more, and Ruby and Oscar made plans to do hand-to-hand combat more. Jaune, Nora and Ren would probably spar occasionally, and maybe check out Atlas’ scene. Weiss wanted to contact her sister, but decided she would go out to buy everyone winter clothing. Blake hastily agreed to join her, in hopes of avoiding Yang’s anger for a while. Yang was silent throughout the ride, though no one could blame her. Blake wanted so badly to talk to her, but realized that would have to wait for another day.

What seemed like hours passed. Jaune, Ren and Nora had managed to fall asleep. Weiss was listening intently to Maria read. Blake stared off into space, seemingly disinterested in everything around her. Qrow, who surprisingly didn’t have a flask in hand, was staring at his scroll. That left Ruby talking to Oscar.

“Oscar, you look like a little prince in your new outfit!” Ruby giggled. She still hadn’t gotten over Oscar’s change in wardrobe.

The young boy scowled at the word “little”. “I’m not small, Ruby.”

“Considering I’m one of the shortest people here, ranking about 5’4, and you’re shorter than that, I’d say yeah, you’re pretty little.”

Oscar pouted. “Let’s see who gets the last laugh when I grow taller.”

Ruby’s eyes widened, and she pretended to look intimidated. “Ooh, when Oscar gets taller! I forgot you haven’t gone through _puberty_ yet!”

Oscar was shocked. “I—what? When did you become such a bully?” He leaned over and poked the Huntress in the shoulder. Ruby, amused, waggled her fingers at Oscar. “I wouldn’t try anything, farm boy. I’ll tickle you till you die laughing.”

“And how do you know I’m ticklish?” he asked defensively.

“Oh, please. Everyone’s ticklish. You look like the ticklish type.”

“What… what does that even mean?”

“Hey, keep it down, some of us are trying to read!” said Weiss, from her little corner near Maria.

“I was about to say the same thing, Miss Weiss!” the elderly lady beamed. Weiss smiled back.

“Hey,” came Yang’s voice from the front. “Wake everyone up. We’ve made it to the safe house.”

In front of them loomed a large cabin, shrouded by trees. It looked safe enough. Yang made out a deer in the greenery. Seemed peaceful.

Weiss proceeded to wake up Nora and Ren. Jaune was a different story, he was snoring loudly and refused to wake up until Maria thunked her book on his head.

The teams and adults made their way to the house. Atlas. They were finally here.

Ruby looked at Weiss, who looked better than she did on the aircraft. She would be sure to stay close to her, to make sure she wouldn’t panic or get hurt. There was no way anyone would be left behind on her watch.

That included Oscar. No matter what, she would protect him. It was rather strange; despite Ozpin being sketchy and mysterious, Ruby couldn’t bring herself to hate him. And she definitely couldn’t hate Oscar. He was growing on her. She didn’t mind, she appreciated his company. He was a young boy, and what he needed now more than ever was a friend, not people coming after him and attacking him for things he didn’t do.

Sighing, Ruby settled down, underneath one of the fleece blankets Klein had left for them. He had stocked food and supplies throughout the house. Ren and Jaune got dinner cooking, while everyone else rested.

It was a long journey, and no one was quite sure what the end result would be, but as for now, they were satisfied that they could be together. Safe.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2!

“You can’t go,” Blake sighed. Tucking a stray hair behind her human ear, she tried to appear reasonable to her shorter teammate.

  
“Yes, I _can_ , Blake. You can’t stop me,” Weiss huffed. The ex-heiress was already red from yelling at Ruby for eating too much earlier that morning.

  
“Weiss, your dad could have people out looking for you. If you leave, you could get caught. We’re just trying to protect—” Blake stopped herself, her eyes flitting to Yang for a moment. Her partner didn’t spare her a glance.

  
“Blake? If I went with you, and we took our weapons, we’d be fine,” Weiss argued, waving a hand in front of her teammate’s face.

  
“No, Weiss.”

  
The girl pouted and glanced over to Oscar, who had volunteered to go shopping with Blake. He and Blake didn’t really talk, but he figured this was a good chance to get to know her better.  
Blake rested her hand on Weiss’ shoulder. “I care about you, Weiss. We all do. I know you really want to leave the house, but it’s better if you stay. Okay?”

  
Weiss didn’t say anything, but she shuffled over to Blake and wrapped her arms around her. She froze momentarily, before tightly hugging her friend back.

  
“Be careful,” Weiss murmured after letting her go. Blake nodded. Turning to Oscar, the Huntress said, “I like you, Oscar. Make sure Blake doesn’t get into trouble.”

  
“Hey!” Blake exclaimed, while Oscar let out a laugh. The two waved to the others and made their exit.

  
Klein had left the group some lien and a map around the city. Oscar held out the map, trying to figure it out, while Blake marched on ahead of him.

  
It was silent on their journey, besides Oscar giving Blake directions, for Blake had nothing to say to Oscar, and Oscar had nothing to say to Blake. He wasn't entirely sure why he had offered to go with her. Yes, he did want to get to know her better, but perhaps, like Yang, she didn’t want anything to do with him. Out of everyone on team RWBY, Blake’s feelings towards him seemed to be the most concealed. Ruby was kind, Weiss was warming up to him, and Yang...well, she wasn’t exactly fond of him at the moment.

  
The two walked towards the city, snow crunching beneath their boots. The air was colder and Oscar could see his breath in the cool day ahead of them. The area smelled strongly of pine, and that was a bit of a comfort to the farm boy. It was refreshing, despite the bitter chill. Oscar noticed Blake shivering, and he thanked the gods above that he had bought a new outfit that provided a little extra heat.

  
Ozpin spoke, which was a surprise to Oscar, because he had been silent for a while now. He mentioned something worthwhile, and Oscar felt it wouldn’t be bad to give his idea a chance.  
He cleared his throat, which caught Blake’s attention. She stopped and looked at him questiongly. “Is there a problem?”

  
“Um… I was just that I was wondering if you’ve read _Hedonism and Heretics_? By Frederick Whitethorn?”

  
The boy was feeling very foolish, and he was sure Blake thought he was, too.

  
“What?”

  
Oscar met Blake’s wide eyes. Her face split in a smile, a genuine one, and her cheeks were rosy (and not just from the cold).

  
“I love that book! It’s such a refreshing and philosophical story!” Blake sighed in bliss.  
Oscar nodded, moving towards her. “We make a left here,” he gestured. “My favorite part is when the main character is faced with sentencing a man to death or putting himself in that place.”

  
Blake agreed, her smile growing wider. “Yeah! I think that’s where he struggled the most!” Blake stopped herself. “I can’t believe you read, Oscar.”

  
Oscar raised an eyebrow in amusement.

  
“Not that I don’t think you can read!” she panicked, her eyes widening. “I mean… Ruby was the only one who ever talked to me about books. I was kind of shy back then, and Ruby talking about books kind of made me feel at home,” Blake said, her eyes looking as if she was remembering a fond memory. “But… I haven’t really gotten a chance to really talk with Ruby since I came back.” Blake looked over her shoulder. “Or anyone else.” Her cat ears drooped down, telling Oscar how much this really hurt her.

  
Oscar folded the map and shrugged his shoulders. “Well, we’re taking a break for a little while. Maybe that’ll be a good chance to talk… to everyone,” Oscar offered with a smile. Blake looked back at him. “Maybe. Thanks.”

  
The pair continued on their way, the grey clouds forming over their heads. The breeze was only growing stronger and Oscar swore that he would never take the sweltering heat of his farm for granted ever again if he survived the cold winter.

  
“Have you ever read The Man with Two Souls?” Blake asked suddenly. Oscar chuckled.

  
“I have. It’s also the life I’m living right now.”

  
Blake slapped her hand to her head. “I’m so stupid… sorry.”

  
Oscar shrugged. “I’m joking, Blake. I liked that book too.”

  
Blake gave a small smile. The pair was approaching the city; Oscar could tell from the muddy paths that winded into cobblestone paths. He looked up, and he was correct. They had entered a bustling neighborhood. They would have to be on their guard, since Ironwood had installed security everywhere throughout the kingdom. They found fabricated IDs that claimed they were Mistral citizens on vacation. Fake names and all. Blake was Belle and Oscar was Dorian. Oscar would have to ask Weiss how her butler managed to accommodate them so quickly.

  
They approached a gate, which protected white marble buildings and beautiful fountains. Even in all its monotone-ness, Atlas still held its own kind of beauty.

  
“Identification, and state your business,” a guard barked at Oscar. They guards wore uniforms similar to the ones in Argus, unsurprisingly.

  
Blake whipped out her and Oscar’s IDs.

  
“Hello, we’re from Mistral. We’re on vacation,” Blake stated. As she tried to make herself look professional, she couldn’t help noticing the guards tensing up at the sight of her second pair of ears.

  
One of the guards, with a thick brown mustache peered down at Oscar.

  
“You don’t look 17.”

  
“I’m just short, sir,” Oscar replied, trying to keep his cool.

  
“Well, Haven Academy is supposedly going back into session in a few weeks, so what could you possibly be doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be helping back there?” the mustached- guard asked. He glanced at his partner, who glared at Blake.

  
“Have I seen you somewhere before? The news maybe?” the second guard asked suspiciously.  
Blake shook her head. “A case of mistaken identity, I’m afraid. Happens quite often, believe it or not. Besides, word is, Haven Academy won’t be back in session for a while.”

  
“Huh. Alright. I’m in a good mood today, so you can go ahead. Stay out of trouble, alright?”

  
“Yes sir!” the teens exclaimed. They made their way through the gates and down into the shopping center.

  
“I’m really surprised none of them commented on my ears and made up some bogus reason why I wouldn’t be allowed through the gates,” Blake snorted.

  
Oscar shrugged. “He did say he was in a good mood today. But how did he tell we were from Huntsmen Academies and not regular schools?”

  
“Our weapons, remember? And also, the IDs say our occupations, Huntsmen-in-training,” Blake laughed.

  
“Oh, yeah... ”

  
The pair dashed down the streets, in search of a clothing outlet. Oscar was enjoying his time with Blake, who he found to be more complex than he originally thought. Ozpin hadn’t been talking much since they started on their journey, but he chose to push that into the back of his mind.

  
Oscar noticed as they rushed by that people took notice of Blake’s cat ears. Oscar had a feeling from their encounter in Argus that Faunus were treated very badly here.

  
They stopped running to catch their breath when Oscar tugged on Blake’s sleeve. “Hey, are you okay with people staring at you all the time?”

  
Blake didn’t even spare a glance at him. “It’s fine. Atlesians aren’t fond of the Faunus. In fact, some of them are enslaved under the Schnee Dust Company. My friend Ilia used to live here, and while she didn’t face any racism herself, there were lots of hate speech towards us.”  
“The Schnee Dust Company?”

  
“Shh, keep your voice down. Jacques Schnee’s spies could be anywhere,” Blake said, lowering her voice. “Yes. Weiss’ dad isn’t… the best guy. He hates Faunus, and that’s why Weiss and I didn’t see eye to eye before… but that’s all changed now.”

  
Personally, Oscar thought it was amazing how Blake and Weiss were friends. He imagined how difficult I must’ve been for them to get along, knowing that Weiss used to be a bit… of a brat. He had trouble, however, considering how sweet and sisterly Weiss was now.

  
Blake abruptly stopped at a clothing boutique, named after someone whose name Oscar couldn’t care to pronounce. The mannequins in the display wore fashionable winter clothing.

  
“Even with Weiss’ butler’s money, how will we be able to afford this high-end fashion?” Oscar inquired quietly to Blake.

  
“Well… where I’m from, I possess some wealth…” Blake chuckled, pulling out a golden card. She wasn’t trying to brag, it was just an attempt at livening their moods.

  
Oscar’s eyes widened. “Don’t even, Blake. You are _totally_ rich. You’re like the princess of Menagerie.”

  
Blake laughed. “If that’s what you want to call it, sure. Let’s get inside. It’s really cold here.”

  
The two made their way inside and the jingle of the doorbell rang as the door shut behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading and I know there might be a few holes here and there, but I will do my best to avoid that in the future!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I momentarily forgot Atlas was a floating city and that Mantle is also there. Honestly, Remnant’s geography is so confusing. I’ll assume the city below Atlas is Mantle, where the Faunus live. I know the characters are staying in a safe house in the woods, but for now, bear with me, there is a forest on a floating city. Okay? Thank you.

“Your sister was cool,” Ruby snickered, eyeing Jaune.

“Mm, Saph babied me the most,” Jaune sighed. Nora, who was seated next to Jaune, leaned over and pinched his cheek.

“And Nora’s like your sister, too,” Ruby smiled. It was great to see team JNPR happy, especially after their encounter with Pyrrha’s statue back in Argus. They had seemed awfully quiet after that, so it was good that they appeared a bit more cheerful, at least. 

Qrow was busy trying to gain information about Whitley’s ball and how they would sneak themselves in. Earlier, Ozpin, through Oscar, voiced his concerns about letting Ironwood in on what had happened thus far, namely concerning the Relic of Knowledge, and Jinn. He was torn, as though Ironwood was one of his most trusted confidantes, the general put the safety of Atlas before anything else. He was a soldier and he followed orders. Mainly, his own. And after the betrayal from Lionheart, he was starting to question his allies.

Maria was napping, and Yang didn’t quite feel like conversing with the others. She had left into a spare bedroom, and Ren decided to follow her there. Ruby also noticed, but didn’t want to say anything. She figured that Yang needed someone else to talk to besides her occasionally. She loved her sister, but Yang had a hard time listening to her sometimes. Maybe Ren would be able to figure out what was wrong with her. 

Weiss walked into the living room from the kitchen. “Hey, Nora, Ren said that you’re good at making cookies, can you help me make them?” Weiss had butlers back home who would make the desserts, but it became a hobby of hers while helping Jaune’s sister make them in Argus. 

“Chocolate chip cookies?” Ruby squealed, looking to Weiss with excitement. The ex-heiress rolled her eyes. “No, Ruby, you eat those too often. What about oatmeal raisin?”

“ _Bleghhhhhh_. Weiss, those are the nastiest cookies out there!”

Nora nodded in agreement. “Sorry Weisscle, but she’s right. I can’t cook well, but I do make a mean cookie. Maybe we can find a recipe we all would like.”

Weiss chose to ignore Nora’s nickname for her and pondered on what she had said. 

“Do you guys like snickerdoodles?” Weiss asked.

Ruby’s eyes seemed to turn into stars as Weiss gave them another option. She loved snickerdoodles!

“Yes! Snickerdoodles are fantastic! Right, Jaune?” she asked. Jaune shrugged. “Sure, why not.” Something was clearly bothering him. 

Nora left her seat to join Weiss in the kitchen. That left Ruby to talk to Jaune. 

“So, Vomit Boy, care to tell me of your other sisters?” Ruby giggled.

Jaune jokingly punched the girl in the arm. He looked a little better, for now. “Sure, Crater Face.”

It was like old times, Ruby thought. Well, not really, since Beacon was destroyed and everyone was trying to kill them, but still, old times. 

* * *

”Welcome to our boutique! May I be of any assistance today?” a saleslady asked upon their entrance. Blake shook her head. “We’re fine, thank you.” 

“Alright! Make sure to check out our traditional clothing inspired by Mistral!” the lady said, her voice clearly laced with fake pep. Oscar followed Blake, when she stopped abruptly and took two crumpled pieces of paper from her pocket.

“These are our sizes. I’ll take the girls and you can take the guys. It doesn’t have to be too stylish, as long as it's the right size.”

Oscar wasn’t sure how he was supposed to find something semi-stylish in such a high-end place. Instead of questioning it, he took his half of the paper and wandered towards the men’s section.

Oscar decided to start with Jaune, who was broader than Ren. He found a coat that cost 220 lien. 220 lien! His entire outfit cost 220 lien, and he was being thrifty too! He found him a faux-fur (thank goodness) lined coat and a blue and yellow sweater. But... the farm boy thought it would be strange to see Jaune abandon the Pumpkin Pete hoodie he adored so much. Thinking about it some more, he headed to the front to ask a question. The cashier stood there expectantly. 

“Um, hello. I was wondering… if you sold any Pumpkin Pete merchandise here?”

Oscar looked hopeful but felt sweat trickling down his back. Why would he ask for Pumpkin Pete merchandise? A high-end store such as this wouldn’t carry that! But Oscar felt compelled to, because he saw that Jaune had a connection with that hoodie, even though Oscar wasn’t sure why. 

The cashier seemed to be trying to read his expression. Oscar sighed. “Never mind, it’s fine.”

“No! Wait,” the cashier insisted. Oscar turned around. “You look too small for the men’s section, so perhaps something from kids?”

“Uh, it’s for a friend,” Oscar replied coolly, his cheeks reddening. He told her Jaune’s size and she left to a back room, and later returned with a black sweater with a bunny rabbit on the right breast.

“Will this be fine?” she asked. Oscar beamed at her. “Yes, thank you.”

“We have some Pumpkin Pete merchandise shipped over from Argus. It’s to honor a Beacon warrior named Pyrrha Nikos,” the cashier informed him. Oscar shivered. Pyrrha… he had heard that name before… she went to the same school as his friends… Ozpin's memories started to inch into his mind, but he chose to push them out.

He’d ask Blake about it. 

He thanked the cashier for the sweater and went to find clothes for Ren and Qrow. The farm boy found himself a wooly red hat that he thought would go well with his new outfit. 

His mind trailed to Ruby. He really wanted to get her something (though Blake would be paying for it). Something small to thank her for just sticking with him through this ordeal. He spotted a little red scarf tucked away in a corner and had an idea. 

Meanwhile, Blake had found something for Nora and Yang as well. She went over to the hat section to look for a hat for Ruby. 

“Excuse me, ma’am…” the same sales lady from the door said, coming up from behind her. 

“Uh, yes?”

“We… might not have what you’re looking for. We can’t accommodate to…” she trailed off, her eyes wandering towards her cat ears. Blake sighed. 

“My cat ears?” she asked softly. 

“Well, yes. Usually, Faunus don’t shop here. I’m sorry to say but we don’t have a hat for you, but you could try down below in Mantle? I’m sure they can accommodate for your kind.”

_Your kind?_

Blake noticed besides Oscar and the cashier, there were only six other people in the store. And she was the only Faunus. She debated yelling at the lady or kicking her in the face. But, she couldn’t have her cover blown. So, she took a deep breath and fought down all her urges to teach the saleslady a lesson. 

“Thanks so much! But I’ll be fine!” Blake cheered. The saleslady gave a simple “Mhm,” and went to bother some other rich snob. 

“If they don’t have hats for _my kind_ , I’ll make my own damn hat,” she huffed to herself. She wasn’t even _looking_ for a hat for herself! Blake shook her head, picking a little red beanie for Ruby. It seemed to fit her style. In the bin over she spotted a little black hat. She might as well. She took it. A little scissors would do the trick. 

Blake thought about it for a moment and then wandered around the store in hopes to find a new bow. Just in case these Atlesian jerks got hostile, she’d need to lay low. 

Oscar had found a jacket with matching gloves and a red turtleneck for Qrow. He figured that Qrow didn’t need much. He placed the clothes in a basket alongside a little spool of silver thread and a needle, blowing air out of his cheeks. He wasn’t sure if this was a great idea, but it was the only way he could say what he wanted without looking like a complete idiot.

He spotted Blake near a display of scarves. Her hand ran slowly over a black and yellow scarf. He approached her. “Is that for Yang?” he asked curiously.

Blake sighed, fingering the frayed ends of the scarf gently.

“Nope.” She turned around and headed towards the checkout. Oscar was confused. He thought Yang and Blake made up ages ago. They had killed Adam, together, and seemed like they were getting along just fine. He almost thought they were officially dating, but it seemed that something had gone wrong. However, he didn’t want to pressure her, so he just dropped it.

He followed her, shoving the blood-red scarf and the silver thread below everything else. A moment later he remembered it was futile since the clerk would have to scan every item and he silently cursed, hoping Blake wouldn’t notice the out of place item. 

The cat Faunus carefully watched as the clerk scanned through the items. “You have a great fashion sense for a guy who grew up on a farm,” she mused.

“Gee, thanks,” Oscar replied. 

“Oh, what’s this?” Blake asked, pointing to the scarf that was in the clerk’s hand. “Is that for Qrow?” she asked, turning to him. The clerk froze, seemingly annoyed that the teens were holding up the line.

“Uh, it’s for my aunt!!” the boy quickly lied. Could he even send anything to his aunt without freaking her out? He had to make a mental note to write to her. Blake seemed satisfied, and let the clerk continue. Oscar breathed a sigh of relief. Blake was very intelligent, but he couldn’t let her figure out his plans.

“That’ll be 1544 lien, please,” the clerk said, her voice clearly laced with boredom. She had thick blonde hair and wore red glasses. Her sea-green eyes screamed “snobbish”, and Oscar knew that she wouldn’t expect Blake to be able to pay for it. 

“Here you are,” Blake smiled, handing the golden card to the clerk. The woman’s eyebrow raised, clearly impressed that Blake possessed this amount of wealth. Her face pinked as she eyed Blake carefully. Oscar wondered if she thought the card belonged to him. He wouldn’t put her past her. 

“Ma’am. _Ahem_ , did you find everything alright today ma’am?” the clerk asked, as she slid the card through the register. Oscar noted that she was supposed to ask that question before checking things out, but it was clearly due to the fact that she didn’t think they belonged in the store. She didn’t think Blake, specifically, belonged at the store.

The cat Faunus grinned, her pearly whites showing. “Everything was great, thanks.” Oscar admired how she wasn’t haughty or quick to call the store employees out on their “subtle” racism. He liked Blake and her humble nature. She was better than that. And now everyone, the employees, and those who waited behind them knew too.

The clerk quickly bagged the items and handed them to the farm boy and Huntress. He smiled and gave thanks. 

_Watch out. Something’s coming._

Ozpin’s voice suddenly rang loud in his head. He moved out of the way and peered out the window. Nothing there. Still, he pressed his hand onto Blake’s arm, his face now full of worry.

“Blake, Ozpin says something’s coming this way—“

Before he could finish his sentence, the window smashed in front of him. It was all Oscar could do to shove Blake out of the way. Immediately, the customers and employees began to scream and panic. Shouts of concern and worry filled the streets as the chilling wind blew into the store. 

Oscar ignored the pain from the scratches the window glass had given him and pulled himself off Blake. The Huntress groaned and sat up. “Thanks, Oscar.” Without another word, she took out Gambol Shroud and leaped out of the open window, out into the streets. Oscar followed, his heart in his chest. The sight on the streets wasn’t a pleasant one. Two large sized Grimms, Ursas rampaged on cobblestone paths. The wrecked stands and destroyed buildings.

“Help me!” someone cried. Blake looked over to Oscar, a serious glint in her eye. “Let’s take them down.” With that, she leapt over a fallen pastry stand and ran to the person in need.

Blake was a strong warrior. He could be too.

_Do you want me to take over?_

At least the old man was asking.

Oscar narrowed his eyes, his fingers grasping the cane. He watched as the two Atlesian guards were flung many feet away by a Grimm. Most of the chaos was from people running around, not the Grimm themselves. He wished Ren was here, to mask the panic and fear that was within the townspeople, but he could only do what he could now. He had faced various large Grimm ever since encountering Ozpin’s presence, but to fight one alone? That was a whole different matter. He took the cane, and charged himself straight at the Grimm. He could do this.

However, he realized later on, that he could _not_ do this. 

* * *

Yang was perched on a windowsill, looking out at the flurries of snow in the air. Atlas was cold and the sun was hardly visible with the clouds in the sky. She preferred warm and sunny Patch. Home.

Home seemed so foreign to her now, it had been a long time since she had been there. She wondered how her dad was doing. He was bound to be lonely again, with only Zwei to keep him company. She sighed and reassured herself that he’d be fine.

There was a knock at the door. It was either Ruby or Weiss, no doubt, so she decided to ignore it. She didn’t want to be down in the dumps, but with all the stuff that was happening now, she couldn’t help but feel empty. 

The knock sounded again, and Yang continued to ignore it. She heard the creak of the door open. “Ruby or Weiss, I’m really not in the mood right now,” she muttered.

“Actually, it’s Ren.” Yang’s eyes widened as she turned to face Ren. The young man looked serious.

“Hey.”

“Hey to you too. Can I talk to you?” he asked. As much as Yang wanted to refuse, maybe talking to Ren would help her... besides, if she didn’t, Ruby might come in for a pep talk later. And as much as she loved her sister, she didn’t think she was the right person to talk to about this.

Ren sat on a chair. He crossed his legs and looked up at Yang.

“Have you talked to Blake yet?” he asked quietly. Yang shook her head. She and Blake... were okay. Yang had forgiven Blake, in a sense,  but Blake still hadn’t wanted to talk about Adam. She never told Yang, or anyone else on the team what Adam meant to her. All she wanted was to Blake to open up to her. 

“I would say give Blake time, but I think that if she really cares for you, then she at least owes you an explanation,” Ren sighed. Yang could tell he felt conflicted about it too. Maybe because Ren’s semblance was masking emotions, he could sense them more than others.

Yang cocked her head. She tried to be okay with it, and really she was glad the team was all together, but it was different. They weren’t as close, and no matter how many smiles she and Blake shared, even Ruby could sense the tension between everyone. She thought she was clear about her feelings for her, but maybe Blake didn’t feel the same. Yang was afraid, afraid of ruining their friendship. 

“I...I want to talk to Blake. But... I mean we’re in the middle of a mission, and I feel like... I don’t want to provoke her, and I feel bad that I got so defensive, yet... it feels as if she doesn’t see what happened to me. Like she looks at my arm and pities what happened but, she doesn’t really know what to do. She doesn’t want to talk about it. It’s like she’s trying to cover up what happened by saying “she’ll be there for me” and stuff but she doesn’t want to explain anything. And… I know, we promised to protect each other, but I feel she’s keeping her distance from me. Like she doesn’t want to get closer.”

Yang wasn’t much of a rambler, like her sister, but at that moment, she felt an aura of calm from Ren. She felt fine talking to him, spilling her guts about her feelings towards Blake. She needed this, she told herself.

“You’re saying that rather than explain what happened, Blake’s trying to make things better?” Ren inquired. 

Yang nodded. She was even confused herself. “Yeah, it’s like I appreciate her trying to be a better teammate... but she hasn’t bothered telling us... telling me about Adam. All I want her to do is explain that! And then we can go back to being... us! It’s like she’s changed now. Everything is awkward.”

Ren raised his eyebrow. “Yang, Blake isn’t the only one who’s changed. You have too. You say you’re angry at Blake but every time you look at her it’s with this softness in your eyes. You give her small smiles and words of encouragement.” Yang felt her face growing warm as Ren continued. “Don’t think I don’t notice. The issue with you two is that you think that the problem is gonna heal itself. It’s not. We have a few days until we get to the Schnee Manor, and I think that it’s a perfect time for you two to talk. Yang, you have to explain to Blake how you really feel and stop pretending you’re fine, when you’re not. Blake needs to realize she just can’t protect you, she also has to let you... be yourself. But you also have to be understanding. There’s still a lot about Blake we don’t know. We can’t be quick to judge when she finally tells us.”

Yang didn’t know what to say. Especially since she had never heard Ren talk this much in her entire time of knowing him.

“T...thanks Ren. I really mean it. I’m actually kind of surprised you came talk to me instead of my sister or Weiss. Why?”

Ren shrugged and stood up. “I like it when things are peaceful. I know what it’s like to lose a teammate, a friend. Team RWBY has a special bond, one that’s pretty strong. It’s just better to see you guys get along, I think.”

Yang smiled, a small one, and hopped off where she was seated. She shuffled over to Ren and opened her arms for a hug. Ren hesitated for a moment, before wrapping his arms around her. “Thanks Ren,” she said. The two released and he opened the door. “Of course.” Yang walked out the door, smiling at the sight of Ruby and Jaune eating cookies. She waved at her sister cheerfully. Everything seemed to be okay.

“Blake and Oscar are taking an awful long time getting back,” Weiss noted, taking a bite from a cookie. Ren nodded. “We should call them.”

“We already tried. Signals aren’t too great right now. It’ll take us a long time to get to them even if they’re in danger. They can handle themselves. If they’re not here within the next hour, then we’ll go,” Maria said.

Yang hoped she was right. There was a sudden lift in her mood. Things were okay, for now. She and Blake would talk and they would smooth things over. They’d be fine.

The hothead went to the kitchen and grabbed herself a cookie. Weiss grinned when Yang complimented them and Nora insisted that it was her secret recipe.

“You okay, sis?” Ruby asked, munching on her third cookie. Yang nodded with a smile. “Yeah. I’m better.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way I don’t really care for thinking of baby names if Oscar and Ruby had a kid but if they did her name would be Osiria Rose, so thanks for coming to my ted talk. Osiria Pine is cool too.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Volume 7 is here! I'm excited to see what it brings! Thank you for being patient, I'm trying to post more often.

After Blake helped a person trapped under rubble, she headed towards Oscar and the two Ursas.

  
She had many questions.

  
One, if Ironwood was increasing security and border patrol, why were they’re only about five guards on duty? Two, how could only two Ursas make this much damage in such little time?

  
The biggest question was how the Grimm got there in the first place.

  
_No time for questions, Blake. People need you._

  
Blake dashed underneath an Ursa’s belly and struck at it, and it howled and retreated. She was getting ready to strike when she saw Oscar flying across the square.

  
“Oscar!” she shouted. While she was distracted, the Ursa swung at her and she went flying, too. She hurriedly got up and took dust out of her pocket. She had to resort to her semblance, then. Where were all the Atlesian Huntsmen?

  
Having a partially broken weapon wasn’t doing much for her right now.

  
Creating three ice clones, Blake kept the first Grimm busy and moved on to the second. The screams were raging louder as the guards tried to settle people down. Blake felt Oscar’s presence next to her as he tried to take down the other Grimm.

Unsuccessful, he gritted his teeth and gave it another shot. They didn’t have time for this.

  
“Oscar!” Blake called, striking the Grimm again. “Let Ozpin take over!”

  
“No!” He called back. He rolled over, dodging a blow from the creature.

  
“Come on, just once! We don’t have this kind of time! Please?”

  
Blake knew she could take them on herself, but she was so worn out after facing Adam that doing it by herself would take longer than necessary. She used the ribbons of her weapon, flung it around and lamppost and boosted herself to the top of a building. The Grimm looked confused, but continued to wreak havoc.

  
Blake spotted Ozpin’s eerie green glow and knew that Oscar had surrendered himself. She pitied him, but only for a moment. She saw the quick, skillful movements of Ozpin’s cane. Good.

  
Waiting for the Grimm to be in the most opportunistic spot, Blake leapt from the building and stabbed the Grimm down. It let out a guttural noise as it disappeared into black smoke. Before she could look up, Ozpin—Oscar had defeated the other Grimm. The town was safe.

  
Blake was so out of breath, she had to sit down. Oscar came up to her; he was still Ozpin judging by the way he held himself.

  
“Good job, Miss Belladonna.”

  
“You too,” she managed. Suddenly, cheers erupted from either side. The townspeople came up and congratulated them. Some looked surprised and others were still shaken up. Blake wanted to ask what had happened, but she wasn’t sure if she should draw attention to herself.

  
“What happened here?” Oscar questioned. His voice was firm and authoritative. He was still Ozpin, she guessed. A crowd of about 15 people had formed around him, each wanting a chance to speak with a Huntsman.

  
“I dunno, there was some argument between vendors, that’s all I saw,” one person piped up. A lady in green shook her head. “No, no, that was between a customer and a vendor!”

  
“Well I didn’t see anything happen!”

  
“That pastry guy looked really suspicious!”

  
“It was between a customer and a vendor!”

  
Everyone had different stories and no one seemed to remember what had happened. Even the guards looked clueless as they tried to quiet people down. Blake stood up and sighed.

  
“Thank you for your bravery, Huntress,” the woman who Blake had saved murmured. She had appeared next to Blake at some point, and was wearing a gentle smile. She was probably in her mid-forties and she probably had children too.

  
“Please. It’s my duty. Stay safe.”

  
Blake took Oscar’s hand and marched past the crowd, back into the store. They picked up their things, and without another word, they left the area. They started marching towards the gates when someone stopped them. A man with a chef’s hat and a dirty apron. The so-called pastry chef who was involved in many of the theories they townspeople had. Blake narrowed her eyes.

  
“Please, wait! Take these, as a token of our gratitude!” He shoved a paper bag towards them. Blake opened it cautiously, and took out a honeyed cake. Moon cakes. She hadn’t had these since she was a child. They were more common in Mistral, especially in the fall time, but it seems the Atlesians had caught on to the popular snack too.

  
“Um, thank you,” she exclaimed. Oscar nodded. “Thanks!” He seemed flustered, which meant some time ago he had gone back to himself.

  
“If you Huntsmen weren’t around, I don’t know what we’d do. Thank you so much.” The baker grinned and with a wave of his pudgy hand, left. Blake shrugged her shoulders, swinging one of the bags over her shoulder. If Yang were here, she could have ridden Bumblebee, and this would have been a shorter journey.

  
As they exited the gates of the city, Blake fully noticed Oscar’s scratches. “Oscar, are you gonna be okay?” she asked. He shrugged, laughing a bit. “I’ll be okay. Just a few scratches. Besides, you look pretty beat up yourself.” Blake didn’t have a mirror to look, but she bet she looked pretty sweaty. Even now in the blistering cold, she felt overheated from the fight.

  
“I’m exhausted,” she sighed. She stopped for a moment, underneath a tree and sat down. Her bottom felt cool in the snow, but she didn’t mind. Oscar cautiously took a seat after her, setting the shopping bags down. Blake opened the paper bag and pulled out a small moon pie and sniffed it. “I hope this isn’t poisoned.” She tossed one to Oscar and ate one herself.

  
“I’ve never had these before,” Oscar noted, looking at the strange designs.

  
“Really? They’re good. These ones have to be filled with taro,” she muttered.

  
Oscar had heard of taro, but he’d never seen it. It wasn’t exactly the kind of crop you’d grow on the farm. But when he bit into the desserts, a sweet, almost vanilla flavor filled his tastebuds. This was an upgrade from the stews and salads his aunt always made. Not that they were bad, they were actually really good. Oscar had a mostly vegetable diet, so while on the journey, trying noodles and eating other things were interesting.  
They sat in silence, eating the moon pies, not caring to save some for the rest, as they were famished. Right before they were finished, Blake’s scroll buzzed.

  
“How am I even getting signal out here?” she question. Oscar shrugged as she noted her partner’s called ID. Yang. She quickly put it on speaker.

  
“Uh, hey, Yang.” Blake felt a tad bit nervous.

  
“Hey. Is Oscar there with you?”

  
“Hi, Yang,” Oscar said.

  
“Where are you guys?”

  
“We’re on our way back. We got caught up with stuff, we’ll explain when we get there,” Blake replied.

  
“Alright.”

  
She hung up. Oscar felt that Blake felt a little unsatisfied with the call, but at least she had bothered to do so in the first place.

  
They got up, and continued on their way, trudging through the snow. Blake was thankful she had remembered to buy practical boots, because while her heeled ones were fashionable, Atlas wasn’t the best place to wear them.

  
A while later, they were at the doorstep, weary. Oscar rapidly knocked on the doorstep, only to be greeted with Weiss’ face. He watched as her eyes widened at their sight, and her lips curl in disgust. “What _happened_ to you two?”

  
“It’s a long story. I need to sleep first,” Blake sighed. She went past Weiss and threw her bag on the couch. Weiss and Oscar followed. Everyone was in the kitchen, and poked their heads out when the two had arrived. Weiss dug through the bags, nodding her head in approval.

“Hey, you’re back!” Nora cheered.

  
“Took you long enough,” Ren smiled.

  
“Whoa? Blake, Oscar, what happened to you guys?” Ruby asked. Yang followed her, her eyes on Blake. Ruby made a dash for the kitchen.

  
Blake sat up from where she sat. “Guys, I need a hot shower. Oscar will tell you.” She started to get up.

  
“You forget kiddo, this is Atlas. And hot water in the middle of the woods isn’t really gonna happen. There’s a well out back, you can collect water there and warm it on the stove,” Qrow said, walking into the room. There was no flask in sight, and it warmed Oscar’s heart to see him taking Ruby’s words to heart.

  
“Fine.” Blake went out of the house, a bucket in hand. Yang chuckled softly.

  
Ruby returned, a bowl of water as a rag, probably to clean up Oscar’s injuries. Everyone else sat on the sofas, eagerly awaiting his story. Ruby sat next to him, too close in fact, and dabbed the rag in the water before touching it to his cheek. The water was freezing and it made the injuries sting more.

  
“You okay?” she asks gently. Oscar could only nod, as he didn’t want to say something incredibly stupid.

  
As Ruby was cleaning him up, he dived into his story.

  
“Yeah… you could tell the Atlesians were kinda… rude. Blake pretended not to notice, but I always saw how people would glance and whisper things about her, her ears,” Oscar admitted. He swore he saw Yang’s prosthetic hand clench and unclench. Oscar continued, getting into the part where the Ursas started to attack. Nora’s face widened and Qrow shook his head. Ruby patted his hand when he admitted having to give Ozpin control of his body.

  
_I’m sorry_ , the professor apologized.

  
_**What else could I do? I’m still not as good as I thought.** _

  
“Yeah and then we got mooncakes and came back here. We got you guys stuff,” Oscar muttered, gesturing to the bags. He figured he’d take a hot bath after Blake finished, as he hadn’t been able to have some peace and quiet to himself in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to AmericanWildDog and MarvelousChloe who comment on the chapters. The fact that you enjoy this and care to comment really makes my day, you have no idea. Thank you as well to those who give kudos, I love that you like my shoddy writing. As usual, please enjoy and forgive me for my errors because sometimes my excitement blurs the way of my editing skills.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I wanted to finish this series before Volume 7 came out so I wouldn’t be influenced to change my plot around it, but I didn't find the time. I’ll try to update this when I can, but it’s hard to catch a break sometimes. Thank you for sticking around and reading!

The next morning, Qrow was up bright and early, and felt the need to stretch his limbs. He transformed and went for a quick flight.

Oscar was up, and couldn’t go back to sleep. His body ached from the battle yesterday and he kept tossing around at night. He headed downstairs to make himself a cup of tea. Lemongrass with a splash of milk and honey, just the way he liked it.

_I’d prefer coffee._

“Well, yeah, you don’t get to make all our choices,” he grumbled back. The boy rubbed his eyes, yawning softly as the winter sun shone through the window. Fastening his robe tightly, mug in one hand, Oscar quietly opened the door and slipped outside.

The chill hit him instantly, causing him to take a large gulp of his tea. He sat down in Maria’s rocking chair on the porch, taking in the scene in front of him. From what he’d seen of Atlas, it was breathtaking. It was so technologically advanced that it seemed somewhat far removed from his little farm town. Here, androids were the norm. Even though most of them were military agents, he wouldn’t be surprised if he were to see an android Huntsman, teacher, or even celebrity one day. The boy sure wasn’t used to the cold, but he didn’t think he’d get used to much else either.

His back ached _badly_ , as if he’d been hauling bricks on his back for years. The only pleasantries he was receiving was Ozpin’s silence and the tea in his now-hot hands.

He continued to watch the little snow flurries drift downwards, making the air colder. The quiet wasn’t unsettling, rather, it put him at ease. Allowed him to think for a moment.

A rustling started before something shot straight out of the grove and towards the house. Oscar jumped, watching as the black streak transformed into a grown man. His feet lightly touched the boards of the porch as he landed.

“Qrow,” Oscar breathed, as if it was a question. His words formed puffs of cold air, but Oscar was too preoccupied to stare at them as he usually did.

“Oh. Hey, kid,” the Huntsman grunted.

Oscar didn’t say anything.

“You’re up early,” Qrow noted, rubbing his hand behind his head. It had been awkward between then ever since Qrow learned the truth of Ozpin’s past. He wasn’t necessarily angry, but he was quiet and distant from him. Part of Oscar couldn’t even blame him; one of his closest friends had hid things away from him, and Oscar had a feeling that Qrow didn’t have very many friends. At least, not anymore.

“Yeah.”

“Yesterday’s attack hit you hard?”

“I guess so.”

Oscar tried to keep his face level, not give away any sign of emotion. He wanted Qrow to know that he was fine, he was okay.

“Well, we need a game plan for the Schnee ball, so I’ll wake everyone up. You want to get started on breakfast?”

Oscar could cook, sure, but he only ever did it for his aunt. He wasn’t sure if anyone would appreciate cayenne pepper in their eggs. Only a few people could handle it.

“Um, okay.”

The boy got up and shuffled inside the safehouse. Qrow soon followed, cracking his neck. Oscar wondered if the old bird slept: it seemed he never did. He opened the fridge; Klein had stocked it full with groceries to last them for days. He figured he would make breakfast burritos. They were easy, and delicious. He set his mug down and took out eggs and vegetables.

Chopping up bell peppers, Oscar hummed to himself. As he was doing so, he heard light footsteps coming down the steps.

“Good morning,” he piped up.

“Hello,” a voice replied back. Blake.

Oscar quickly mixed in onions and tomatoes with the peppers and tossed it into a large pan.

_Don’t forget the seasoning._

“I won’t,” he muttered back.

“What was that?”

“Uh, nothing, Blake.”

Salt, pepper, oregano, Italian seasoning. A bit of cayenne pepper to spice it up a bit. Now for the eggs.

“Whatever you’re making smells so good.”

“Thank you.

Could you get me some tortillas please?”

Blake did as she was told and handed Oscar the tortillas. As the eggs cooked, the two engaged in a conversation about a romance novel that Oscar’s aunt made him burn after reading it. She was strictly against book burning but she claimed that Oscar’s mind, “... was delicate and should stay that way.”

“I’d never burn a book,” Blake fake-gasped.

“Well, I figured your parents wouldn’t be as overprotective as my aunt,” Oscar chuckled. Blake soured, her eyes drifting off to the side. Oscar realized his mistake.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant! I meant… no I have no clue what I meant. I’m sorry, Blake. That was really insensitive of me to say.”

Blake offered a sad smile. “No biggie. You aren’t wrong, after all.” Her arms crossed, Blake shuffled into the living room.

Oscar scolded himself internally while rolling the burritos up. Nora and Ren soon joined Blake downstairs, chatting to Oscar occasionally. Weiss and Yang came downstairs, Yang seemingly making Weiss’ face red, and he wasn’t sure if it was out of embarrassment or amusement. He pulled out a jug of orange juice and washed some strawberries, before setting it on the table. Just as he turned off the stove, Maria and Ruby trudged downstairs, Qrow behind them.

“Breakfast is ready,” he called, meeting Ruby’s eyes.

“Morning, Oscar!” Ruby yawned, rubbing her eyes. Oscar hid his blush, smiling to himself.

“Come on, kid,” Qrow beckoned to him. Oscar set the tray of burritos down on the table and joined the others in the living room.

Oscar quickly, but cautiously joined Jaune’s side on the couch and waited for Qrow’s next words.

“Sorry to wake you all up this morning,” he started, glancing at a yawning Weiss. “But we need to start making our plan for the ball.” Weiss looked away, and Ruby patted her shoulder.

“So, the dance for Whitley is in a week. But some of us will be at the dance providing distractions while the rest of us will be retrieving the relic.”

“And the Maiden?” Jaune questioned.

“Easy. I just want us to all be on the same page. Maiden searching starts tomorrow.”

Jaune settled down.

“Alright, so here’s the plan. We don’t exactly have a ticket to the ball. And that’s where Ms. Schnee, or should I say Miss Camila Blanchet, comes in.”

Weiss stared incredulously. She now understood where her team leader’s wacky antics truly came from her. It wasn’t her father or her energetic older sister. It was her uncle.

“Camila Blanchet? Like the famous singer, Galene Blanchet? Are you insane?” Weiss burst. Everyone stared at the two, wondering what was going through Qrow’s mind.

“Calm down, let me explain myself. Klein already made your fake IDs, and you’re Camila Blanchet, a close relative of Galene. We need you to pretend to be her musically-gifted relative to give us access to the party.”

“And why would I do that? Anyone with half a brain could look it up and see that it’s fake! I could be locked up, especially if I walk in as Weiss Schenee pretending to be Galene’s cousin!” Weiss retorted. Her face was reddening, but Oscar was worried that his breakfast was getting cold.

“It’s okay, Weiss. Uncle Qrow always has a plan; this’ll work out,” Ruby smiled supportively.

“Look, Ice Princess. I know Galene. We used to… yeah, we were old buddies back then,” Qrow remarked. It took Oscar a moment, but immediately, everyone else screamed, “Ew!”

“I cannot believe someone as famous as Galene Blanchet hung out with you,” Weiss snorted in disbelief.

“Yeah, well, we’re still good friends. She owes me a lot of favors, so I cashed in on one. If any of these Atlesians suspect you, they can call Galene herself and she can confirm that Camilla is indeed, her distant cousin.”

The room became quiet, everyone taking in Qrow’s story.

“Galene is one of my favorite musicians… I can’t believe she knew you,” Weiss marveled.

“This mission is becoming weirder by the minute,” Ren muttered.

“Agreed”, Blake sighed. Oscar looked to her in apology, to which she gave a halfhearted smile.

“Anyway, so luckily for us, since the singer for Whitley’s party, aka our very own Ice Princess has mysteriously disappeared, the Schnees are desperate for entertainment now. And we have offered our very own Camila. There’s an interview at the end of the week to qualify you and your “guests” to the ball. But… your father’s the interviewer.”

The room felt deathly still. Blake and Yang held their breath and Oscar focused his vision on the falling snow outside. Ren and Nora looked at Weiss in pity.

“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, Weiss,” Ruby whispered, her fingers grasping Weiss’ wrist.

Weiss didn’t answer, only directing her gaze on the man.

“Is… is this the only way for us to get into that party?” she asked quietly.

“Unless you have another idea, no.”

Weiss shut her eyes, before opening them. Her arm trembled in Ruby’s grasp.

“Fine.”

“You’re okay with it?”

“If that’s what I need to do,” she started, “then I will.”

Qrow’s lips quirked up in relief. “I’m sorry to make you do this. But thank you.”

Weiss managed a smile back, and Ruby’s heart swelled. Her best friend and her uncle, getting along.

“I’m okay, Ruby. Thanks.”

“If you’re sure.”

Qrow cleared his throat. “Alright. You all have fake IDs with fake names, but the only one who’ll be needing a disguise is Camilla here.”

Weiss nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay! Quick game plan before breakfast. When Weiss passes the interview, we’ll be given access to the ball. Ironwood won’t be able to miss the dance for a long time but he’ll help us get into Atlas Academy. Maria, Ruby and Jaune will come with me and Winter Maiden, after we check into the party. Ren and Nora, you will be at the dance, and we need you to tell us if any teachers or students are trying to get into the school. You’re backup if we need it. Weiss, once your performance is over, come to the school, before anyone suspects you. Blake, Yang, Oscar, you’re there to make sure nothing goes wrong with Weiss’ performance. Just blend in. Distract if you need to. Don’t take out your weapons unless there’s a Grimm attack. Understood?”

Blake and Oscar nodded their heads.

“Yang?”

Blake elbowed her partner.

“Fine,” she huffed.

Ruby seemed mildly relieved that she didn’t have to go to the ball, but Oscar tried not to show his disappointment. He didn’t mind third-wheeling with Blake and Yang, anyway.

“Any questions? No? Okay. After breakfast, dress shopping.”

Blake groaned. “We literally went yesterday. Why didn’t you just ask us to buy dresses?”

Qrow shrugged. “It slipped my mind.”

“Um, I think the burritos are getting cold,” Oscar piped up.

“I’m starving,” Ren commented. Everyone seemed to agree with him, and they all headed towards the table.

_Qrow seems very… enthusiastic for this particular mission._

“I figure he’s a bit happier. I think he’s focusing on what he has in front of him,” Oscar agreed, nodding towards Qrow arm-wrestling Ruby at the table.

_He still hasn’t forgiven me though, has he?_

“I doubt he’s very fond of either of us right now,” the boy muttered back.

And before the feelings that had been threatening to overcome him rose up again, he put on a smile and walked over to the table, thanking Jaune for complimenting his burritos.

* * *

 “Bye! Watch out for Grimm!” Oscar called, waving at his companions. They all wore their new gear, Ruby in her parka, and Nora with her pink earmuffs. Everyone had decided to go shopping, except for him, Blake, Weiss, and Qrow. Qrow and Blake didn’t feel like going out, and Weiss wasn’t allowed to leave yet. Ruby has promised to find her a “good disguise”, which frankly, worried the heiress.

Oscar, had a game plan for how he wanted to spend his day. He just needed a bit of privacy.

“You guys want to play Serpents and Escalators?” Weiss inquired. Boredom was written all over their faces, but there wasn’t much to do in the middle of the woods.

“Isn’t that just Snakes and Ladders?” Blake asked, amused.

“No, this one is much more fun.” Weiss then pulled out a tattered box, bright blue, with a huge basilisk and escalators painted across the cover.

“Wow, that’s old,” Qrow murmured.

Weiss looked at the box fondly, as if it was a prized possession. “It belonged to my mother. My sister and I used to play it all the time. Before… before all…”

“Weiss, you absolutely do not have to go to your house if you don’t want to,” Oscar murmured. He knew what it was like to feel like drowning, like he was suffocating and couldn’t get out. In between a rock and a hard place.

“No, it’s okay,” Weiss replied softly. ”I was going to have to face my father again someday.” She perked up, smiling mischievously. “But this time, it’ll be in disguise.”

Qrow looked guilty, and Blake squeezed her friend in an embrace. “We got your back, Weiss. He isn’t going to do anything to you.” “Right, I wouldn’t let that bastard get within feet of you,” Qrow agreed.

Weiss smiled warmly, and opened the box. “You want to play, Oscar?”

Oscar shook his head. “Maybe later, Weiss. I’m feeling a bit lightheaded, so I’m gonna head upstairs for a bit.”

“Are you okay?” Weiss asked, tilting her head in concern.

“Yes,” he nodded. “I think I just woke up too early.”

The ex-heiress nodded and Oscar took the chance to go upstairs and situate put himself. The others would be back in a few hours, and he was sure that the three downstairs would soon grow bored of the game. Underneath his bed in a corner, was the red scarf and the silver thread. In his heart he knew he was bold for doing such a thing, but he had already committed himself to doing it.

The farm boy sat on his bed, and began the individual stitches on it.

* * *

“I wonder about Oscar,” Weiss noted quietly, rolling her dice.

“What do you mean?” Blake asked. Their eyes followed as Weiss’ piece had to move three spaces back.

“I feel he’s very distant these days.”

“I didn’t know you had gotten to know him that well, Ice Princess,” Qrow muttered, sipping on his coffee.

Weiss shrugged, playing with the little horse in front of her. “No, I haven’t. I just… I know how it feels to be lonely. And… I think he’s just really confused and hurt. I think that’s why he distances himself from us.”

“Well, we haven’t exactly been welcoming,” Blake reminded her.

Weiss bit her lip. “You’re right.” Then, gesturing to Qrow said, “Your move.”

Outside, the snow began to settle. The three in the living room had nothing more to talk about. Each had something quite serious in their hearts that they wouldn’t dare share to the other next to them.

“Do you think Ruby will find me a good disguise?” Weiss asked.

“I’d put faith in that kid. She knows her stuff. She knows her team,” Qrow said wistfully. Blake wondered if he was thinking of his own team.

“Yeah… but she’s always been a bit eccentric… I’m worried…” “If I were you, I’d be more worried about losing! Ha!” Qrow laughed, moving his piece forward. He was in the lead, with Weiss not far behind. Blake had given up, as she was only at square 64.

“I’m going to check up on Oscar. I’ll be back,” she smiled. Sighing, she stood up and went up the stairs.

“Oscar?” she asked, quietly opening the door. In a flash, Oscar hid whatever he was doing underneath a pillow.

Blake was curious.

“What were you doing?”

“N-nothing,” he stammered.

“Don’t believe you,” she said, coming closer to the bed.

“No, no. I was just… reading a book. And… you scared me.” The farmhand moved closer to the pillow, his fingers lightly grasping it.

“Oh? Which book?”

“The… the… “.

His face had grown warm. He wasn’t that great of a liar, was he?

“See, I have a sneaking suspicion,” she laughed, strolling over, “That,” and before Oscar could blink, the pillow had been thrown up in the air and the very thing he has wanted to hide was in Blake’s hand.

“ _You like Ruby_!” she gasped. Oscar shot to his feet. “Shh, shush! Keep your voice down! That’s not true! This scarf is for my aunt!”

Blake examined the scarf, holding it away from the short boy. It was a vibrant red, with the beginnings of a silver rose pattern along the length of it.

“I don’t think your aunt’s favorite color is red, right?” Blake murmured.

Oscar sighed. “No. It’s blue. And… I do like Ruby. The scarf… is for her.”

She knew it! She absolutely knew it! Blake had always had a feeling, but had never asked Oscar about it. Now she really knew.

“How long?” she asked softly.

“A little while… after I met her. But Blake! Please don’t tell anyone! She cannot know about this.”

Blake handed the scarf back to him. “Then how do you plan on giving this to her?”

Oscar shrugged. “I thought I could say that we bought it together?” he asked hopefully.

Blake sighed; Oscar was young, and the chances of Ruby responding to his affection in kind was slim.

“Fine, I won’t say anything.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

“Thank you, thank you, Blake. And I’m so sorry for what I said this morning. I mean it.”

Blake shrugged. “Sure. Just make sure to be a bit more secretive with it. I’m sure she’ll like it.”

Oscar nodded with a half smile.

Blake headed for the door, but before she exited, she turned, thinking of Weiss’ words.

“Oh, and Oscar?”

“Yes?”

“You can talk to us, if you want. Like me and Weiss. Or anyone, you’re comfortable with. It’s hard to bottle up all your feelings, I’d know. So… come find me when you’re ready.”

She made her exit then, and Oscar flounced on his bed in relief.

_Note to self: Don’t develop feelings for my former students._

“Shut up. This is already embarrassing as is. I’m not going to confess to her.”

_For how long?_

“As long as we share this body, Ruby will never know I like her. It’s weird for me too, okay?”

_Fine. But no strange thoughts, or else._

Oscar wasn’t sure what “or else” meant, but he sure wasn’t in the mood to figure it out.

Back downstairs, Qrow has disappeared and Weiss was lazing on the couch.

“Is Oscar okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, he seems really tired, so I just let him sleep.”

“Alright. Qrow won the game and went out for a walk and I’m incredibly bored. What is there to do around here? Doesn’t Klein know me any better than this?”

Blake eyed the HoloTV box on the corner table. She didn’t remember the last time she had watched television. After the telecommunications towers at Beacon crashed, it was hard to get good signals where they were. Atlas’ was still intact, but in the middle of the woods, it seemed a bit spotty.

“Want to try and see if the TV works?”

“I guess,” Weiss sighed.

Blake connected her scroll to the TV and recalled Weiss watching a baking show at Beacon. Blake had secretly downloaded a few episodes in hopes that she’d gain an interest in it. She hadn't. But… Weiss was making a great sacrifice for them. She deserved at least this.

“Remember this show?” Blake asked.

Weiss drew her eyes to the screen where a fuzzy display of "The Great Atlesian Baking Show" was playing.

“The GABS! I loved this show! Blake! Will you watch with me?”

Blake saw the ex-heiress’ face light up in excitement, and couldn’t resist.

“Why not?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 6 has themes of sexual violence in it, so if you aren't comfortable with that, please skip the next chapter. I will provide a quick summary of the chapter when I post chapter 7.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Violence (sexual); please do not read this chapter if this makes you feel uncomfortable in any way. 
> 
> Please !!!

“What is this?” Weiss shrieked, aghast.

“Uh, hair dye, contacts, and some. . . makeup… thingy. And dresses. Sorry, Blake, but we spent a lot,” Ruby chuckled. “The town over there needed some help from yesterday, so we helped out a bit.”

“No biggie,” Blake replied. 

“The makeup thingy is called concealer,” Yang clarified from her spot on the couch. 

“Yeah, that.”

“This is ridiculous! _How_ do you expect me to dye my hair, Ruby? A wig would have sufficed!”

Ruby pouted. “Well, I didn’t think we could find a wig big enough to cover your hair. And it’s only temporary. It’ll last three days, I promise.”

Weiss looked very, very skeptical about this disguise thing. Yang sat up, as did Blake. 

“I’ll help you,” they said simultaneously. 

“Uh…” Ruby whispered. 

Blake tossed a glance at Yang. “I’ll help her.”

“No, I already offered. Weiss, I can help you,” Yang said, rising from her seat. 

“No, I will!” Blake stood up. 

“No, I don’t _think_ so!” 

“Stop!” Weiss shouted, earning a glare from a sleepy Qrow. “You can both help me dye my hair. That is, if you can stop bickering long enough to do it.”

“Never mind, Yang. You can do it.”

Yang looked crestfallen, almost as if she didn’t really want Blake to give up. Like she enjoyed having _some_ sort of conversation with her. 

“You sure?”

Blake shrugged. “I mean, you did get up first. It’s only fair.” Blake fanned herself, even though it wasn’t that warm in the safe house. “I’ll go upstairs.”

The banter between the two provided enough tension for days to come. Everyone was tired from dress shopping, so they all decided to settle down. Well, except for Ruby. She was tired of staying in the same spot, and was craving some action. 

“You think we’d see some Grimm around here,” she muttered. 

“I don’t think that’s a very good thought to have, Ruby,” Oscar said. 

“With all the arguments going on, you’d think at least an Ursa would appear,” Qrow commented.

Maria hobbled over to him. “You know what, you’re right. It _is_ suspicious.”

Ruby made her way over to Oscar, who was sitting on a stool, fiddling with his new outfit. 

“Hey,” she smiled, sliding into the chair next to him. 

The boy jumped a bit, chuckling. “H-hi.”

“Wanna spar? I could use the practice.”

“Hand to hand?” Oscar asked hopefully. 

“Nah, I’ve been itching to use Crescent Rose again,”  Ruby smiled wickedly.

“I-um… “

“Kidding, kidding. I know my scythe could do all sorts of damage to your cane,” she bragged, crossing her arms. 

_How humble._

Oscar smothered his laughter, taking in what Ozpin told him. 

“So, whaddya say?” she asked, holding out her hand. 

“Sure,” he agreed, taking it. On the inside, he was afraid that she would pulverize him, or worse, he would punch her again. But… he was spending time with her. So it wasn’t all that bad. 

“Come on! A fight in the snow!”

“Don’t stay out there too long,” Qrow reminded them.

“Thanks, _Dad_ ,” Ruby teased, running outside with Oscar.

“Am I really becoming like Tai?” Qrow muttered to no one in particular. 

“Is that her father?” Maria asked. Qrow grunted a yes. 

“Then probably.”

* * *

Nora watched curiously as Ren followed Blake upstairs. She didn’t think too deeply about it, however, turning to her second-best friend, Jaune. He was very quiet and laid back these days. 

“What’s up with you?”

Jaune looked down at Nora, seemingly disinterested. “Nothing.”

“I can tell when you’re upset, Jaune. You are one of my best friends. So what’s wrong?” Nora asked, her voice dropping to a whisper. 

“Nora… it’s complicated. And long. And I don’t know if I can carry this kind of responsibility.”

Nora smiled gently, patting her friend’s arm. “That’s why we’re here to help you carry it. Together.”

Jaune heaved a sigh, his chest rising and falling ever so slightly. 

“Okay.”

* * *

Blake sat on her bed, the afternoon sun filtering through the blinds. A lot had happened today. A lot hadn't happened too. 

She thought, well, a small part of her thought today would be the day that she could talk to Yang. But… to no avail. 

She seemed moodier and unhappier to be around her than usual. Blake wasn’t sure what to do next. She _thought_ they were cool, but they weren’t. And she wasn’t sure what was going on in her heart, whether it was admiration, or something deeper, but it didn’t help her added stress. 

Now she carried another secret: Oscar’s. She shouldn’t have been so surprised when he confessed his crush, especially since she already suspected it. But… it was wild. Would Ruby return his feelings?

 _Probably not._ If anyone’s love life was a mystery, it would be Ruby’s. Even with the mystery surrounding her own, Blake wasn’t sure if Ruby had ever held hands with anyone. Granted, she was one of the youngest, so no one was expecting her to be in a relationship. And there was the whole “saving the world” deal. 

But now that she was thinking about it, when she was younger than Ruby’s age, she too was in a relationship… if you wanted to call it that. Blake dwelled on Adam very rarely these days. What she had thought was love was just an abusive relationship. She saw that now… but it didn’t make her life easier. It just opened another can of worms. 

She breathed a sigh of relief. At least he was truly gone, forever. He was simply just a ghost of her past, and whatever feelings of pity or hopes for Adam’s redemption were gone. For good. 

Blake’s ears perked up when a knock sounded on the door.

“Um, yes?” she asked. 

“It’s Ren.”

Ren entered the room she and a seemingly reluctant Yang shared. 

“Hi.”

“Hello. Can I sit?” Ren asked, gesturing to Yang’s bed adjacent to hers. Blake nodded. 

Ren reminded Blake of herself, in the past, and even now, sometimes. Quiet and observant. She wondered what secrets lay beneath his exterior. Quiet people always hid secrets, deadly or otherwise. 

“What brings you to my humble living quarters?” Blake joked.

“I want to talk about Yang.”

Blake wrung her hands in nervousness. “Um. . . why?”

“Because she’s upset.”

“She _told_ you that?”

“I don’t have to be told anything. I just noticed.”

Blake wrapped her arms around herself defensively. “And what about it?”

Ren sighed, as if he had already had this conversation before. “Do you think that you and Yang are completely fine?”

Well, clearly, not. Otherwise, Yang wouldn’t be mad. But Blake thought she had been honest. 

“No… but… I felt bad. I still do. I apologized and I will keep apologizing, but… she said it was okay. She _smiled_. I acknowledge I made a huge mistake in leaving, but… ” Blake murmured, her voice breaking. 

“No one’s blaming you, Blake. I think Yang is okay with your apology. But you haven’t been completely honest with her.”

“In what way?” she asked. 

“You haven’t told her… or any of us, about Adam. What he meant to you.”

Blake was confused. Adam had died back in Argus. He was gone, so why did he matter?

“What does Adam have to do with this? He’s dead, Ren.”

“I dunno, Blake. But if you really trust your team, if you really trust Yang, you will give her the full truth.”

“So she’s mad because I didn’t tell her what Adam was to me.”

“Yang lost her _arm_ for you, Blake. She charged in there and defend you against someone she didn’t know, someone she still doesn’t. I think she deserves to know who truly hurt her.” 

“And what about me?” Blake snapped, standing up. “What about me? And the years of torment I had to endure from Adam? You wanna know who he was to me? He was my abusive ex. Is that what you wanted to hear? Is that what you wanted to hear, Yang?”

Ren rose from the bed, trying to calm her down. His eyes were wide, he didn’t expect this from Blake. 

“Why won’t you _talk_ to me?” Blake yelled. 

“Blake, please.” 

“No,” she started, choking on tears. She dropped to her knees. “No. I’m so… I’m so over this. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to deal with my own feelings after all this time. I don’t know how to tell Yang what I’m feeling because I don’t even know myself. I just… I just want her to already know.”

Ren kneeled down next to her, patting her back. He hadn’t chosen the right words. He was usually a collected person, but he had struck a nerve. One he shouldn’t have. 

“I’m sorry, Blake. I… I shouldn’t have said anything. You and Yang are both hurt, and I could never understand the kind of pain he put you through. But the good thing is that he’s gone. You and Yang defeated him together. And I think that speaks volumes. I don’t blame you, Blake. And if it’s worth anything, I don’t think Yang does either. I think she’s a little confused, like you, that’s why she’s acting like she is. You shouldn’t wait for her to make the first move. She’s stubborn. And maybe a little push from you is what she needs.” Ren finished, and wrapped his arms around Blake’s kneeling figure.

It was a moment of peace, before Blake started rumbling. 

“Are you crying again?”

Blake raised her head up, her red eyes dried. Her face was stretched into a smile, as if she had been laughing. “No… it’s just that your hugs are so rare.”

“It was weird, wasn't it? Sorry.”

“No, no. You were right. About it all. Sorry, I got a bit defensive.” Ren scooted back from Blake and let her go. “I’ll be going.”

“Thanks, Ren.”

“Oh, anytime... And I’m sorry again, Blake, You’re really brave, and I didn't know… I didn’t mean to hurt you. I… it wasn’t my place, especially when I knew nothing about it, what you've been through.”

“It’s okay. It is.” 

Ren smiled, and walked out of the room. 

Blake sat back on her bed, reflective. She was still confused as to why Ren came to talk to her about this. It wasn’t as if it affected it him. 

But if she thought about it more, maybe it did. No one liked to see their friends fighting, or not getting along. He was just helping out. Keeping the peace. And she was grateful. 

* * *

Yang stood at the sink scrubbing the bits of black dye off the skin above her fleshy arm (she had accidentally got some on there). Weiss was in the shower, seemingly not used to the cold water (but after awhile, she was okay with it). She was belting out lyrics to a song Yang had never heard of. In a way, it brought a sense of normalcy to her. Weiss was _singing_. Her team was back together… and everyone was happy. 

Actually, the last part isn't true. Not at all. 

 Even over the rushing water, she could make out Blake’s voice, but not exactly what she was saying. Not that Yang cared for what she was saying. At all. Her heart drummed in her chest as she lathered soap onto her arm again. It was almost red now, and it stung from how hard she was so scrubbing it.  

“I’m going to go, Weiss,” she called. Weiss didn’t reply, probably because she was singing at the top of her lungs. How was she even standing in the cold water for that long? It must’ve been freezing. 

Cracking her knuckles, Yang left the bathroom. 

* * *

Outside, Ruby and Oscar stood paces apart. Ruby flung off her cape, revealing a black long-sleeved shirt underneath. Her tattered hood was strung around her neck. 

“So you have your hood underneath your cape? And you have a hat even though you have a hood?” Oscar asked, jokingly. 

Ruby’s eyes narrowed. “All in the name of fashion.”

Was it just him, or was she taking this a tad bit too seriously? Oscar moved side to side, trying to warm himself up. 

“Okay, so how do we start—“

“YAH!” Ruby roared, charging at him. Oscar didn’t even have time to dodge as Ruby punched him in the cheek. Oscar flew back, his face stinging from the injury and the cold.

“Sorry, Oscar! That was a bit too hard, but I’m feeling really pumped right now! I think I’m getting the hang of this hand to hand stuff.”

Oscar was glad she was happy, but that didn’t mean he wanted to lose his head because of it. 

_Stand up. You need to ground yourself. She’ll probably rely on her semblance, but you need to anticipate her next move._

“Come on, Oscar!” Ruby called, jumping excitedly. 

Oscar sighed, and hefted himself out of the snow. Dusting it off of him, he charged at Ruby, meaning to give her a little taste of her own medicine. 

As he moved towards her, she tried to step out of the way, so Oscar followed, grabbing her arm and twisting it. 

“No fair!”

“This is actually quite difficult!” he groaned, trying to stop her from wiggling. 

_This… will take a while._

Oscar let Ruby go, her spinning around. He quickly thought about something, and stuck his leg out. She tripped over it, but not without bringing him with her. 

“Oof,” Ruby moaned as she hit the earth. They both landed on their stomachs. Ruby turned over, and Oscar did the same. They were on their backs, their faces towards the sky. She was out of breath. He was, too. 

“We suck.”

“Agreed.”

They laid there, in the snow, trying to catch their breaths. 

Ruby made shapes with her cold breath. Oscar felt his head numbing, so he sat up. The Huntress was making a snow angel, nearly whacking him. 

“Ruby…”

“Hm?”

He had only now realized how close they had gotten, how close he was to her now. And how his heart strummed in his chest. Oscar placed a hand over it and sighed. Remembering Ozpin’s words, he focused his attention back on her silver eyes. Her skin was much paler than usual. Her eyes had dark circles beneath them. 

“Have you been sleeping enough?”

Ruby stopped making the snow angel. Quietly, she sat up, and hugged her knees to her chest. 

“You can tell?” she asked quietly. 

Oscar only nodded. 

Ruby let air out of her nose. “Well, yeah, I haven’t.” She directed her gaze to the sky, where a flock of birds made their way across the clouds. 

“I’ve been having strange dreams again. Before… before I’d have dreams where I’d hear Pyrrha’s voice.” 

Oscar had heard Pyrrha’s name plenty of times to know how hard her death had affected everyone in that house. He said nothing, only continued to listen. 

“I’ve been seeing red hair in my dreams. It’s just a flash… and I’m not sure whose it is. It’s only brief, but… no, it’s stupid.”

“No, no. Nothing you say is stupid,” Oscar reassured her. 

_That… wasn’t very smooth of you._

_**Thanks, I realize that.** _

Thankfully, Ruby didn’t seem to pick that up, but Oscar looked away anyway. 

“I… okay. In my dreams, I’ll be in the forest, and I’ll see someone with red hair pass me by. And it’s like I want to chase after this person, but I’m… glued to the ground or something. I always think… maybe it’s Pyrrha. Or Penny. But the hair always looks lighter than theirs was. And… it makes me wonder if they’re still out there. Otherwise, why would I be having these dreams?” she wondered.

Oscar didn’t know what to say. But based off what he heard, Penny was torn apart… and Pyrrha… was… she was ashes. It hurt his heart to even think about it, and he could tell with the professor’s silence, it hit him hard too. 

“And… I just haven’t been sleeping well. I don’t know.”

“Have you told Yang? Or Weiss or Blake?”

Ruby shook her head. 

“You should. They’re your friends.”

“Yeah, but Yang and Blake are dealing with each other, and Weiss is already stressed about her brother’s ball. I don’t think me having weird dreams is anything important.”

Oscar didn’t understand how someone could be so selfless, so sacrificing? Ruby rarely complained, she rarely cried, she always hid it in, as if it would be okay. 

Oscar focused his gaze on her. “Ruby. I think your friends would be more upset if you _didn’t_ tell them about your dreams. You’re telling me, a total stranger about your dreams, but you won’t tell your best friends? They’re here to listen to you. No matter what. You don’t always have to be a leader. You can be a regular person too. I know this isn’t the same… but when I was younger and I started to help my aunt on the farm, I thought I could do it by myself. But she always told me that it’s okay to ask someone for help. Because it’s better if two people share the burden.”

Ruby looked up. She looked almost grateful for the advice that Oscar wasn’t sure would be useful. 

“Thank you. And you’re not a total stranger. You’re my friend as well. I don’t know why I can tell you these things so easily.”

“I’ve been told I’m good at listening.”

“You really are.” 

Oscar didn’t have words to describe how she was making him feel. 

“Do you want to go inside? It’s getting kind of cold. I can make hot cocoa,” Oscar smiled.

“Yeah.”

He stood up, and held out his hand to the girl. She took it, and Oscar almost fell over trying to pull her up. 

* * *

“When did you first hear of me?” Maria questioned Qrow. 

Qrow chuckled. It wasn’t every day that you met your idol, but he felt silly even thinking about it. He didn’t think Maria liked him much. 

“When I was 14, or so. Before I was a Huntsman, I was a bandit,” he confessed. 

“Ah,” was all she said. 

“I was with my fam—my tribe. And we were on a raid, and I found a newspaper article talking about your accomplishments. And I guess I was starstruck. Afterwards, I’d search for any news about you and I’d read about it in the dark when no one else was awake.” Qrow felt immature when he said, “You kind of inspired me to become a real Huntsman. I know it sounds stupid… it was. Childish of me, considering how much of a screw up I am.”

Maria nodded. “You _are_ a screw up. But only a little. A real screw up doesn’t learn from his mistakes. I’ve never heard of a bandit becoming a Huntsman. People really do change.” 

“You have no idea,” he muttered to himself. Grasping the edge of the dining room table, he said aloud, “Nice of you to say that, but you really don’t know the half of it.”

Maria shrugged, her mechanical eyes turning upwards. “I figured I wouldn’t. But I think you helped raised two strong, capable women, so applaud yourself for that.”

“I don’t know if you can say that much—“

“Qrow, I know you have pride somewhere in you, so stop acting like you don’t know how to take a compliment.”

Qrow stayed silent. His family wasn’t the most… normal out there, so rarely was he scolded. The only person who had helped set Qrow straight was Ozpin. And… 

But Maria was like a mother, scolding him at every opportunity.

“How long do you plan on staying with us?” Qrow asked quietly. Not that she wasn’t welcome, but did she have a plan? Did she want to do anything in particular, or did she want to see Salem defeated as much as he did? 

Maria didn’t answer the question. “Qrow, I want to tell you a story. In exchange for a story from you.”

“If you’re telling me a story, I think that means I’m growing on you,” he grinned. 

“Not even close. Now, hush.”

* * *

Jaune shucked his cable-knit sweater off, the one with the Pumpkin Pete ensignia stitched into the corner. When Oscar had handed it to him, he was shocked. He didn’t expect the farmhand to ever think of him. Not after all he said to him. 

He shook his head, focusing on Nora’s attentive gaze. His friend held her chin in her hands, as if she was a therapist ready to listen to his entire life story.

“Tell me, my friend. What’s the matter?”

The Huntsman felt uneasy, like there was someone squeezing his heart, or there was someone lurking behind him. Part of his uneasiness stemmed from seeing Oscar. The way the boy acted like nothing had happened between them. Most of it was Oscar, but a small part of it was something else entirely . . .

“I don’t know, Nora. I feel… I feel _wrong_. When I first got to Beacon, my biggest struggle was trying to get Weiss to like me. And keeping it a secret that I forged my Huntsman papers. Now… I have a semblance, and I’ve gotten better at fighting. Yet, I feel like I’m going nowhere. Like everything I’m doing is wrong somehow.”

Nora cocked her head. She knew he wasn’t finished, and she knew when to speak. 

“My head’s been hurting lately. It does every time I think about the Fall. And I just kept thinking to myself, ‘What if it was different? What if Pyrrha was here?’ I can only imagine what she’d be like, traveling with us,” Jaune laughed weakly. He picked at his fingers. “I miss her, Nora. I really miss her. I thought I had made peace with myself after seeing her statue, but…  it still hurts sometimes, y’know?””

Nora, at this moment, felt her heart escape her rib cage. She wanted to cry, she wanted to fall apart, but she wouldn’t. She wouldn’t, for Jaune. 

“I know. Me too,” she whispered. “I miss her so much.”

Jaune lifted a half smile to his teammate. “I don’t know… I can’t find the enthusiasm for this mission. I just feel it’s all pointless. And . . . I just don’t know what I’m doing here, Nora.”

Nora sensed that Jaune’s old insecurities were creeping back in. No matter how dense he was or how often he was seen as the “funny one”, he was only human. He still hurt, he still held in his emotions. 

She leaned over and placed a hand on Jaune’s. “Look at yourself Jaune. Really look at yourself.” Jaune looked up to the mirror in front of him. He looked more mature, he looked stronger… even more like a leader. 

“Since day one, we’ve always been team JNPR. We always will be. But we can’t be a team if we don’t have an amazing leader next to us. And that’s you.”

“Thanks, Nora, but—“

“Listen to me, Jaune.” Her tone was stern, and she rarely ever used it. 

“When I first met you, I was kind of confused as to how you ended up being a leader, but all in good fun, you know? And I know, we’d always tease you about your fighting skills and everything, but look how far we’ve come. I’ve seen you fight, I’ve seen you defend, and I couldn’t be prouder. Ren and I both. Pyrrha would be proud. I know she would.”

Jaune’s eyes brimmed with tears. He sniffed, trying to hold it in. He inched closer to Nora and wrapped her in a hug, before breaking into a sob. 

“Hey, hey, it’s going to be okay. I love you, okay?” Nora whispered, patting her friend’s back. 

“Th-thank you, Nora. I love you. You’re the… the best.” 

“Now you’re making me cry. I didn’t want to,” she laughed, tears falling down her face. 

Separating from their hug, Jaune wiped his tears. Nora was smiling, but was crying as well. 

“How do you feel?” she asked him. 

“Stupid. Crazy. But definitely happier. And you?”

Nora was silent for a moment. “I think I’m pretty happy right now.”

“Nora, you can always tell me anything, you know that right?” Jaune asked, his voice full of concern.

Nora nodded, twisting her hands. “I do know. And I will, when the time comes. Just trust me.”

“I trust you. But you’ve got to trust me too.”

“I do. Without a doubt. Now come on, team leader. Let’s go see what everyone else has been up to.”

“You really want us to go outside with our teary eyes?” Jaune laughed. 

“I always blame it on allergies.”

“Smart. Classic Nora.”

* * *

“You could only imagine what I did with that _delinquent_ when I caught him,” Maria snickered.

“You probably kicked his ass,” Qrow laughed. Inside, he was terribly impressed. Maria had just told him a story about fighting five bandits _single-handedly_. Now Qrow knew, from personal experience that bandits weren’t all that helpless. But Maria was not only a silver-eyed warrior, but an excellent Huntress as well. 

“I did indeed. Now, you tell me something about you.”

Qrow sat and thought. “You want to hear about being a Huntsman, or do you want to know about me?”

Maria’s prosthetic eyes narrowed at him. “I asked for _your_ story. Whether that’s being a Huntsman, or not. It’s all you.”

Qrow wondered if Maria’s semblance was actually the power to compel people. He felt strangely at ease, as if he was prepared to tell the woman his whole life story. 

The old bird prayed none of the kids would walk in while he was relaying this to her. 

“I suppose I can start with a so-called love story.”

“Oh? Who captured your heart?”

Qrow shook his head. “Not me. Someone else.” His voice was low and bitter, and Maria knew this wasn’t going to end well. 

“There was this bandit tribe a long time ago. They started out small, but as they raided villages from all over, they gained new members, people who were too scared to fight for their own. There was a brave soldier, by the name of Apollo who was from that camp.

Apollo was a golden child, like the sun, in the bandits’ eyes. He was best friends with the tribe leader and loved by them all. Handsome, strong, he practically _glowed_. 

He preferred the bow and arrow as a weapon, unlike most of the bandits, who liked to use guns. Whenever there was a raid, he was there, because he was ruthless, but very skilled.

One night there was a raid, where he stormed through the city, shooting people left and right. At the end of the alley, there was one house left to raid. Inside, there was a woman, curled up in the corner. Apollo was getting ready to strike, when she turned her face towards him. He was immediately enraptured by her beauty. 

He demanded she give him all his belongings and come with him—as a prisoner, of course. He planned to make her his, but she had a bit of defiance left in her,” he chuckled. His eyes looked like they were looking to another time, somewhere far and distant. 

“She refused… but he wouldn’t have it. She expected to be killed immediately, but he pitied her, and gave her instructions to run away, so no one would know he had let her go.

The woman was surprised with the bandit’s generosity, and in return, promised she would visit him someday, in private. They agreed to meet in the woods closest to the village on a certain date.

The days following was hard for Apollo, for all he could think about was the woman with dark hair and deep eyes that he would lay his life down for. She would be his. The woman, who had been laying low in a nearby village, thought about the mysterious man who had helped destroy her village. When she came to this realization, she decided she would not see him in the woods.

A month or so passed, and Apollo snuck out of camp in search for the woman. He waited in the woods throughout the afternoon and evening, and was ashamed when she never showed up. His heart shattered. She had betrayed him! But, it didn’t bother him, because he would get her, no matter what. 

The following day, the bandit’s leader allowed Apollo to order a raid on the village the woman had hid herself in. The bandits marched through, but Apollo knew the woman was hiding here, so he ordered them to cease fire. He asked the villagers if they had seen a dark-haired, blue-eyed woman, and someone had said yes. Apollo promised the villager’s protection if she turned herself in. The woman, who was in the crowd, was afraid, but knew she couldn’t allow innocents to die because of her. She gave herself up, and the bandits left them alone.

The woman was deathly afraid on the ride back to the camp. Apollo learned her name was Leda. At the camp, Apollo let everyone know that Leda was his. The tribe leader loved him very much, so he was not upset that Apollo didn’t carry out the raid. 

For the following days, Apollo tried to get Leda to open up to him, but she was upset because he wasn’t a good man. Apollo tried to justify his ways, saying that the tribe needed it more than they did. It wasn’t an excuse for Leda. After that, she grew very thin, because she refused to eat. Apollo was frustrated, and took out his anger on everyone in the camp. 

The jealous camp-women one night, tied Leda up and tossed her in the river. Leda was found miles away the next morning. Apollo, furious, punished the women, and told Leda she needed to learn how to fight. 

Leda refused, but Apollo insisted. So they trained hard, day and night, until Leda could flip even Apollo onto his back. Over this time, Leda saw the softer side of Apollo. He helped the camp elders around and when he went on raids, he only attacked those who posed a threat to him. Apollo took this as a sign that she was falling in love with him. He wanted to start a family with her, he was sure of it. So one night, he tried to advance on her, but Leda, was afraid and ran away from him into the woods.”

Qrow stopped for a moment, his hands clenched. Maria looked on in concern. “Are you alright?”

The Huntsman nodded. “Yes.”

“Apollo had enough of Leda’s rejections and asked her why she wouldn’t be with him. Leda didn’t want to hurt people. She didn’t want Apollo to hurt anyone either. Apollo, with the camp’s supply of alcohol, drank throughout the night, wallowing in his sorrow. 

He was drunk and tried to return back to his tent, but didn’t find her there. He knew she had ran away and found her hiding in the trees. He… he then … he took advantage of her. She cried for help and screamed, but no one came to her rescue. ”

Maria gasped.

“Leda was hurt, but on the inside, she knew she had fallen in love with Apollo, despite all his twisted ways, despite the way he hurt her. She forgave him when he apologized, and made him swear he’d never touch alcohol again. Somehow all was well. 9 months later, she gave birth to twins. And they all lived happily ever after.”

Qrow finished and closed his eyes. He had never told anyone that story, save for his… his teammates. But to let a stranger, Maria, know his story, was enough to bring him to tears. 

“Your parents,” Maria said quietly. 

Qrow looked up with a dark smile. “Yeah. That’s what I’ve been told anyway. My mother only told one person, her best friend. My parents would never tell me the truth. My father was an ass, and told us that she had consented to it, and my mother told me she was in love, so it was okay.” He laughed sarcastically. 

“It’s shitty. My mother went through hell for a man who hurt her so many times.”

Maria was at a loss for words. This was the first she had heard anything about Qrow’s life, and she could only imagine what he had turned into afterwards.”

“Thank you,” she finally said. 

“For what?”

“Telling me about yourself. I can’t say much for your family, but Qrow, for someone who went through all of that, you sure turned out pretty okay.”

“You sure about that? Remember my semblance?”

“Ah, but you’ve always been much more than your semblance. That’s for sure. You’re a good person, Qrow Branwen. Don’t worry; I don’t think you’re much like your father at all.”

Qrow gave her a small smile, his heart secretly warming. A door shut, and Ren came down the steps, before flopping onto the couch. Yang followed him, her face blank. The doorknob jostled, and Oscar and Ruby returned from their match outside. 

“Uncle Qrow! I successfully beat Oscar in a sparring match!” Ruby squealed.

“You did _not_!” Oscar retorted. 

“I’m glad you two had fun,” Qrow replied.  

“I’m making hot chocolate, you want any?” Oscar asked. Maria nodded, and Qrow answered yes. 

“I’d like some,” Ren called. 

“What about you, Yang?”

“Sure,” was all she said. 

Just then, Nora and Jaune came down the stairs. Their eyes looked faintly red, as if they had teared up a bit. 

“I’ll help you, Oscar,” Ruby said, entering the kitchen with him. 

“Are you two alright? You look strange,” Maria noted. 

“Allergies,” Nora shrugged. “I want some hot cocoa too, Oscar. With marshmallows.”

“I don’t think we have any, Nora,” Oscar called back from the kitchen. 

“I have to do _everything_ , don’t I?” Nora muttered, walking into the kitchen. Jaune shrugged and pulled up a chair across from Maria. 

The sound of a door shut, and Blake came down the steps. She glanced at Yang and coughed. Yang looked up at her. 

“Um, hey.”

“Hello.”

“They’re making hot chocolate, if you want some,” Yang murmured. 

“Oh. Thank you.”

Blake sat on the couch, a seat away from Yang. She felt tense, but she wasn’t upset, because she knew it would be alright in no time.

“Okay. I’ve got 10 cups of cocoa, one for Weiss in case she wants one,” Oscar called. He, Ruby, and Nora brought silver trays into the dining room. Nora took her one with marshmallows and took one for Ren.

“Thanks Oscar,” Blake smiled. 

“Uh, here,” Yang muttered, picking up a mug for Blake. 

“Oh! Um, thanks Yang.”

Ruby gave her teammates a long stare. 

“Tell me how I look and _be completely honest_.” 

Weiss made her descent downstairs, her long hair colored a dark black. 

“It just _had_ to be black, didn’t it Ruby?”

Ruby snickered. “You look cute.”

“Dolt.” Weiss went up to the table and grabbed the last mug of hot cocoa. 

“I think it suits you,” Yang smiled. 

“It doesn’t,” Weiss sighed. 

“ _Hair as dark as night, skin as white as snow…_ ” Ruby sing-songed.

“Good music taste. I bet Galene would approve,” Weiss rolled her eyes, taking her partner’s arm.

_A moment’s rest._

**_Yeah. Everything from here on out will be high stakes, I guess._  **

_Perhaps. Enjoy the time you have right now._

Oscar watched Ruby and Jaune’s teams enter the living room together. His grip tightened on the mug. They were all together, but he still wasn’t a part of them. He wasn’t sure when he would truly be accepted. 

“You alright?” Qrow asked Oscar. 

Oscar gave a tentative smile. “Yes.”

_Go on._

For some reason his heart was in his throat, and his eyes zeroed in on the friend group, as if he was becoming truly aware that he had no place there. 

“Oscar, hey, come sit with us,” Nora called him over. 

_It’s just your imagination. They like you._

They liked him. Oz was right. He pushed the small voice telling him otherwise to the back of his mind and went to take a seat nestled in between Nora and Weiss on the floor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to let Ren get a bit upset at Blake, and realize his mistake. Ren didn’t have room to talk about Adam, because he didn’t know the situation. He pushed Blake when clearly Adam and her had a very… bad relationship (at least that’s how I see it). He then apologizes for it. All the characters have their own struggle. Blake’s is different, but I wanted to let Ren help as well as learn that he doesn’t necessarily have all the means to help everyone. If the characters ever seem OOC, it’s because I interpret them in a different way and that’s how I want them to grow.


End file.
